Weymouth railway station

Infobox UK station
name = Weymouth
code = WEY


manager = South West Trains
locale = Weymouth
borough = Weymouth and Portland, Dorset
usage0405 = 0.588
usage0506 = 0.595
platforms = 3
start = 20 January 1857

Weymouth railway station is a railway station serving the town of Weymouth, Dorset, England. The station is the terminus of both the South Western Main Line from London Waterloo and the Heart of Wessex Line from Bristol.

The first Town station was opened in January 1857 as the southern terminus of the Great Western Railway (GWR) line from Castle Cary via Yeovil. The London and South Western Railway (LSWR) also operated services to the station via Dorchester South railway station. Branches to Portland and Weymouth Quay (both opened in 1865) ran from Weymouth Junction, just north of the station.

The original station buildings were designed by TH Bertram and constructed in timber with a glazed overall roof across the tracks; this was removed after WW2. By the turn of the century the station area comprised five platforms, a large goods yard, and a small LSWR engine shed; the GWR had a larger shed situated north of the station. Nearby, Melcombe Regis halt served Portland passenger trains and provided an overflow platform for excursion trains on busy summer weekends.

After WW2, the station saw rapid growth in holiday and Channel Islands traffic. As a result the station underwent a major expansion in the late 1950s, gaining two lengthy excursion platforms (which now serve today's station), additional sidings adjacent to Jubilee Gardens, and a new signal box to replace two older boxes. However traffic soon declined and the station was progressively rationalised after the end of steam-hauled operations in the late 1960s, with the goods yard closing in 1972 and the signal box and most of the remaining sidings being taken out of use in 1987. Although the current Weymouth Town station is a mere shadow of its former self, the extension of third-rail electrification from Bournemouth in 1988 has given the station much improved services to London and assured the station's future.

The current station is a relatively modern structure, having been rebuilt in 1986; in its final years, the old Weymouth station was far too big for the modest traffic it was handling.

South West Trains operate half - hourly services to/from London Waterloo via Basingstoke, Southampton Central, Bournemouth and Poole. Services were operated by Wessex Electrics electric multiple units, until early 2007. These trains had been introduced when electrification was extended to Weymouth in 1988. The route is now almost exclusively operated by Class 444 Express Desiro units; although there are occasional services operated by the Class 450 Suburban Desiro units. Of the two trains per hour, one calls at many stations all the way to Southampton to pick up stations served by the former Wareham - Brockenhurst and Poole - Waterloo services. The other service calls at few stations to Southampton, and then fast from Winchester to London Waterloo.

First Great Western operate services to/from Bristol via Bath Spa, Westbury and Yeovil. Some services originate from Westbury, with passengers having to change to reach Bristol. Many Bristol services now continue on to Newport and Cardiff, and the 1111 service operates to Bristol Temple Meads and on to Gloucester. Services are operated by Class 150 or Class 153 diesel multiple units. For the past few years, on summer Saturdays, Class 31 locomotives and Mk.2 coaching stock have been hired from FM Rail to cater for extra passengers and holiday makers.

The station is now known simply as "Weymouth" in all public material, though its correct name is still considered to be "Weymouth Town", in order distinguish it from the other station at Weymouth Quay.

Weymouth Quay railway station is the other terminus in the town, though it currently receives no regular scheduled service. Its passenger station was used solely for trains connecting with cross-channel ferries, which have not run since 1987, though the line remains part of the network and the station, in theory, still open. Its use has been suggested as part of the transport infrastructure for the 2012 Olympic sailing events to take place on the Isle of Portland, though since it is accessed via the Weymouth Harbour Branch, which runs along public streets, this poses difficulties. Previously, the branch saw both freight and passenger traffic, most recently fuel-oil trains.

External links

Rail line|next=Terminus
route=South West Trains
London-Weymouth express services
previous=Dorchester South|col=FF0000Rail line|next=Terminus
route=South West Trains
London-Weymouth semi-fast services
previous=Upwey|col=FF0000rail line|next=Terminus
route=First Great Western
Bristol-Weymouth
previous=Upwey|col=001385Rail line|next=Weymouth Quay
route=Weymouth Harbour Tramway
Weymouth-Weymouth Quay
previous=Junction
(Reversal Needed)|col=555555
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Swcp
topath=¼ mile (500 metres)
anti-nextstation=Swanage 48 miles (77 km)
clck-nextstation=Exmouth 76 miles (122 km)